Let’s grow ginger
There’s no need to go and buy ginger for your kitchen. Why not grow it yourself, suggests Stephanie Choo
Old ginger sold at the supermarket.
Tough-skinned, more fibrous and harsher in taste, mature rhizomes (or old ginger) have a stronger flavour and are spicier.
Basically, the older the ginger, the more heat it delivers. Mature gingers are harvested from the same plant but at a later stage of the growing season, that is, at about seven to 12 months. Plant ginger by settling it just below the surface of the soil.
Ginger producing new shoots and real roots on a plate of water.
Young ginger is said to be able to bring down a fever while old ginger brings up the body temperature. Hence, the latter is effective as a home remedy to help cure colds.
Zingerone, shogaols, gingerols and volatile oils that give the rhizome its aroma and flavour are medicinal. This is why gingers have been used since ancient times to
Ginger plant growing in a pot. relieve various conditions including intestinal gas, muscle soreness, nausea and stomach upsets.
HOW TO PLANT THEM
Sprout a cutting of fresh ginger in a plate of shallow water near a bright window first before transferring it outside. Do not let the plate dry out. The small bumps of buds that emerge on the surface of the rhizome will quickly turn green and give rise to new shoots and roots.
Alternatively, you can plant the rhizome directly in fertile well-drained loamy soil in the garden under full sun but with some shade in the afternoon.
The soil needs to be loose for the rhizome to grow freely below the soil.
To grow in a pot, pick a medium-sized pot of about 30cm deep with drainage holes at the bottom.
To plant the rhizome in the soil, dig a shallow hole and place it with the node or eye buds facing upwards. Cover with a thin layer of soil about 2.5cm thick.
Water to keep soil moist at all times. Feed the plant with organic fertilisers and compost regularly.
To harvest, just dig up a piece of the rhizome from the sides of a clump or remove the whole plant.